Muscle conditioning and building apparatus for use by skiers



Aug. 19, 1969 L. L. ROBBINS 3,462,141

MUSCLE CONDITIONING AND BUILDING APPARATUS FOR USE BY SKIERS v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1966 INVENTOR. ((6%; l. [@357/1/(5' Arvi /5K5. v

Aug. 19,1969 I Y'LNLLROBBINS MUSCLE CONDITIONING AND BUILDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FOR USE BY SKIERS Filed June 24., 1966 INVENTOR. flax p 1.205497% United States Patent 3,462,141 MUSCLE CONDITIONING AND BUILDING APPARATUS FOR USE BY SKIERS Lloyd L. Robbins, 1627 South 13th East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105 Filed June 24, 1966, Ser. No. 560,298 Int. Cl. A63c 11/00 US. Cl. 272-57 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for use by skiers to condition and build muscles while using ski equipment normally used upon the ski slopes. The apparatus includes a base having a pair of upstanding arms with a track supported by the arms. A pair of rollers is adapted to individually engage each ski adjacent the tail thereof and each roller is further adapted to ride upon the track. The skis, adjacent the tips thereof, engage the floor or other surface upon which the base rests so the skier is in a downhill position and may, from that position, manipulate the skis as he would upon the ski slope.

This invention relates generally to skiing and more particularly to equipment adapted for use by skiers individually. Specifically, the present invention is directed toward equipment which may be used by a skier to properly develop and/or condition the muscles of the body normally used in skiing without the necessity of traveling to a skiing area. Such equipment therefore may be used during the summer months, at the start of the ski season, to place the skier in mid-season muscular and wind condition before he actually starts the ski season.

It has been discovered that for the typical recreational, i.e., weekend-type skier, it normally requires from three to five weeks of such weekend skiing once there is snow on the ground in the skiing areas, for the skier to place himself in such physical condition that he is able to fully utilize the skiing time while at the ski area. Such period of time is particularly required with respect to those muscles in the legs and the lower part of the torso Which are specifically used only while carrying out the various maneuvers required in skiing. As a result of the lack of physical conditioning at the early part of the season, it has further been realized that the skier, during this period of time, is more accident-prone and thus more accidents occur than during the remaining portion of the ski season. Such, it has been determined, occurs because the weekend-type recreational skier has a great tendency to overextend himself so that he becomes extremely tired, falls, and injures himself or others.

In skiing, particularly when one desires to execute a turn, three basic steps must occur. First, there must be a change of direction, then a change of ski edges, and then turning power must be introduced. The direction change during actual skiing may be somewhat static as in a step turn or it may be dynamic. The edge change may occur with both skis simultaneously as in a parallel turn or one ski at a time as in a snow plow turn. The application of power to the skis may be accomplished in many ways depending upon the competence of the skier. In any event the muscles of the skier must be well developed and conditioned and hereto could be properly accomplished only on the ski slopes during skiing.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which will assist the skier to develop and condition muscles used during skiing without the necessity of snow, ski slopes or any known substitutes therefor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide "ice apparatus which may be used indoors or outdoors in the absence of snow and/or ski areas by a skier to assist in the development and conditioning of muscles required for skiing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for use by a skier which enables him to condition muscles required for skiing to mid-season form prior to the start of the ski season.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus usable by skiers to enable the skier to get a full utilization of his skiing time while in ski areas.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for use by skiers prior to the beginning of the ski season to develop and condition muscles used during skiing to thereby reduce the accident rate among skiers.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus which produces such a resistance that a skier is capable of simulating ski edge changes and introducing turning power as if on a ski slope under actual turn conditions.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus which is usable by a skier to develop and condition those muscles normally used during skiing which apparatus is simple, rugged, yet easy to use for the purposes intended.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus in the form of a skiing machine which permits both muscle-building and muscle-conditioning of those muscles normally used during skiing while actually wearing and utilizing a pair of skis, ski boots and ski poles but yet which can be used either indoors or outdoors in the absence of snow or any artificial substance simulating the same.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention both as to its organization and method of operation will become apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which are presented by way of example only and are not intended as alimitation upon the scope of the present invention and in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates apparatus in accordance with the present invention in use by a skier;

FIGURE 2 is a front plan view partly in cross-section of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of a portion of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention taken about the lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front view in cross-section taken about the lines 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate the means used in assembling a part of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 9 illustrates another embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Apparatus for use by skiers to develop and condition muscles used during skiing in accordance with the present invention includes track means which is suspended above a supporting surface by any appropriate supporting means so that skis may be placed in desired attitude with respect thereto while the same are being worn by one who will utilize the apparatus. Track engaging means is adapted for cooperative engagement with the track and for movement along the track so as to enable the skier to execute the various movements normally used during skiing. Attachment means for attaching the track engaging means to skis is utilized by providing appropriate means for rigidly aifixing the track engaging means to the skis.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a skiing apparatus for muscle-building and conditioning of a skier in accordance with the present invention. As is shown in FIGURE 1, a skier is positioned upon a pair of skis 11 while the skis are mounted upon a skiing apparatus 12 in such a manner that the skier 10 may manipulate the skis 11 as if he were in fact executing a downhill run on a ski slope. It should be expressly noted that the skis execute an angle with the surface 13 upon which the tips of the skis are supported and upon which the skiing machine 12 is supported, such that the skier may place his body into the proper forward press position normally required to obtain proper balance and ski control during a downhill run. When in such a forward press position the skier utilizing the apparatus is then in a position to execute those motions required for parallel turns in either direction, for unweighting and for a snow plow as those terms are usually used in skiing. Obviously the inward press must be used to keep the skis together during these motions on the apparatus as it is during actual skiing. It should also be expressly noted that the skier 10 is in his ski boots and is using his ski poles and is upon those skis 11 which he normally uses while skiing during the normal season. Thus when using the present invention a skier may use that equipment to which he is most accustomed and with which he feels most comfortable. It should become apparent that apparatus of the present invention may be used by ski equipment salesmen to fit shoes, skis, bindings, poles, and the like to a skier or for a skier break in new shoes.

The skiing apparatus for developing and conditioning muscles in accordance with the present invention may include a track means such, for example, as a cable 21 which is supported upon a base 22 having a pair of upstanding arms 23 and 24 extending therefrom. The base 22 also includes a stabilizer member 25 extending laterally of the longitudinal axis of the cable 21 so as to maintain the cable 21 in a desired position irrespective of movements which may be executed by the skier I10. Track engaging means such as rollers 26 are attached by an attaching means 27 to the skis 11 inwardly of the ski tails 14 thereby to enable the skier to manipulate the full length of the skis while maintaining the tips thereof in substantially stationary position as would be the case during a normal downhill run.

By reference to FIGURES 2, 5 and 6, the track means and the support mechanism therefor is illustrated more in detail. As is particularly shown in FIGURE 2, the base 22 and the arms 23 and 24 are constructed of a unitary, continuous member. Preferably the arms 23 and 24, when the cable 21 is not connected thereto, are directly outwardly, i.e., to the right and left respectively when viewed in FIGURE 2, and are constructed of a resiliently deformable material such as spring steel. The cable 21 may then be strung between the arms 23 and 24 causing the arms to move inwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 2, to the position as illustrated. Under these conditions the cable 21 is under tension. The stringing may be accomplished as illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 by placing the cable 21 through a slot 31 formed at the upper end of arm 24 in such a manner that a retaining ball 32 which has been swaged onto the cable 21 rests within a countersink 33. The arms 23 and 24 are then brought closer together and the opposite end of the cable which is similarly constructed is dropped through a similar slot and then to a countersink position on arm 23. Thus the cable is in position and is under tension. It should be noted with respect to FIG- URE 2 that the base 22 is spaced from the supporting area 13 to provide movement for the base 22 as the arms 23 and 2.4 are flexed towards each other.

The skier places himself in position upon the skis and then places the track engaging means 26 upon the cable 21. The skiers weight depresses the cable 21 toward the base 22 as is illustrated in FIGURE 1. Under these circumstances the skier may then throw the tails 14 of the skis toward the left or toward the right as illustrated by the arrow 30 in FIGURE 1 to execute the desired motions as above described.

As above pointed out the stabilizing bars 25 and 28 are placed at each end of the base 22 to stabilize the base and the arms 23 and 24 during use by the skier. It should become obvious at this point that the track engaging means 26 must be rigidly afiixed with respect to the skis 11 to enable the skier 10 to properly utilize the apparatus in accordance with the present invention. It should be recognized by reference to FIGURE 2 that there is a separate track engaging means and attaching means for each of the two skis utilized by the skier. Such is indicated by use of the same reference numerals primed in FIGURE 2, although hereinafter only one ski and the mechanism in relation thereto will be described in detail.

The attaching mechanism 27 is illustrated in particular detail with respect to FIGURES 3 and 4. Referring now more specifically to FIGURE 3, the track engaging means is illustrated as a roller 41 having a peripheral recess 42 provided about the outer surface thereof. It should also be noted that the depth of the peripheral recess 42 is substantially greater than the diameter of cable 21. By creating the depth of the recess 42 in such manner there is little likelihood that the skier during manipulation of the skis, while conditioning or developing the muscles, will lift the roller 41 off the cable 21. The roller 41 is supported upon an axle 43 which is retained in place between the two arms 44 and 45 of a downwardly directed U-shaped bracket 46. The base 47 of the U-shaped bracket 46 is provided with a race 48 which is adapted to receive ball bearings as illustrated at 49. The bracket 46 is pivotally secured by means of pin 51 to the bottom or base section 52 of a ski-receiving member such as cradle 53 as will be more fully described hereinbelow.

It should thus be seen that the bracket 46 along with the roller 41 is adapted to rotate through 360 should such be desired. The ability or freedom of the roller 41 to rotate upon the axis of the pin 51 is extremely important as will be recognized by any skier. As the tails 14 of the skis 11 are moved from side to side as, for example, in the execution of a parallel turn and as is indicated by the arrow 30, it will be recognized that if the tips 15 of the skis stay substantially stationary and the skis 11 remain substantially parallel as is the case during proper execution of the parallel turn, then t e point at which the attaching mechanism 27 is aifixed to the skis describes somewhat of an are having a rather large radius. Such being the case, the cable 21 has a tendency to move inwardly toward the tips 15 of the skis 11 and the roller 41 must therefore turn to accommodate this movement of the cable 21 and the skis 11.

The ski-receiving means 53 includes a U-shaped receiving bracket having a base 52 and a pair of upstanding arms 54 and 55, the tips 56 and 57 respectively being inwardly directed as illustrated. A shock-absorbing resilient material such as a rubber pad 58 is disposed within the base 52 of the ski-receiving bracket thereby to eliminate any damage to the bottom surface of the ski 11. A pressure pad 61 carrying a shock-absorbing resilient material such as a rubber pad 62 engages the upper surface of the ski 11. The pressure pad 61 is afiixed to screw means 63 which is threaded through a nut 64 recived within an aperture 65 formed in the upper portion of a clamp 66 having a pair of outwardly and upwardly directed tangs 67 and 68 formed integrally therewith. The tangs 67 and 68 are cooperatively received within recesses formed in the inwardly directed ends 56 and 57 respectively of the upstanding arms 54 and 55 of the bracket 53. As the screw means 6-3 is manipulated by way of the handle 69, the pressure pad 61 is moved toward and away from the ski 11, depending upon the direction in which the screw means 63 is turned, to respectively rigidly clamp the ski 11 in place as is illustrated throughout the drawings or to release the ski so that the clamp 53 may be removed therefrom. It will be immediately recognized by those skilled in the art that the clamp 66 may be constructed in any geometric configuration desired such as having the downwardly sloping arms illustrated in FIGURE 4 or being constructed of a substantially flat plate as is illustrated in FIGURE 1. The particular manner in which the clamp 66 engages the ski-receiving bracket 53 may also vary in accordance with design considerations as desired withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 7 and 8 there is illustrated a presently preferred alternative embodiment of the present invention. As is therein shown, the track means of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a rigid base member 71 which is constructed in the form of a rectangular, hollow, tubular member. Upstanding arms 72 and 73 are rigidly afiixed to the lower member of the base 71 by means of screws or bolts 74 and 75 as illustrated. As is also illustrated the lower ends of the arms 72 and 73 are inwardly turned at 76 so as to extend into the hollow, tubular rigid base member 71. In order to accomplish such a position, the arms 72 and 73 are thus bent as illustrated at 77-. A stop member 78 is aflixed to the base 71 and contacts the arms at the area of curvature 77 and thereby controls the movement which the arms 72 and 73 might be subjected to when stress is placed upon the cable 81 which is strung between the arms 72 and 73 in the manner above described. By so doing, all mandant movement of the arms 72 and 73 is restricted solely to the arms and is not transmitted into the inwardly turned lower end 76 or the attaching means 74 and 75.

It should be understood that the arms 72 and 73 may be attached to the base 71 in various Ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIGURE 10, the bottom 91 of the base 71 may have an opening 92 provided therein for receiving the tang 93 on the lower end 94 of the upstanding arm 95. A sheet metal clip 96 is afiifited to the arm 95 as shown to restrict vertical movement thereof and to retain the same in place prior to stringing the cable.

Stabilizing bars 82 and 83 are affixed to the base 71 outboard of the upstanding arms 72 and 73 as illustrated in FIGURE 7. As is more clearly shown in FIGURE 8, the stabilizing bars are constructed of a continuous member, preferably of metal such as cast aluminum, which extends outwardly in both directions from the base 71 and transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof. A pair of stiffening ribs 78 and 79 are provided in the stabilizer bar to relieve the strain upon the outwardly extending legs thereof. It should be specifically noted that the stabilizer bar includes at least three points 85, -86 and 87 of contact with a supporting surface such as the floor, ground or the like upon which the apparatus is to be utilized. The stabilizer bars 82 and 83 are afiixed to the rigid base member 71 by means of screws, bolts, or the like. The points of contact of pads 85, 86 and 87 each, if desired, may have a shock-absorbing cushioning member such as a rubber pad affixed thereto as illustrated.

By specific reference to FIGURE 7 it should be expressly understood that even though the arms 72 and 73 may be constructed of a resiliently deformable material such as spring steel so that the cable 81 is under tension as shown, such is not necessary. The arms 72 and 73 may be formed of rigid material if such is desired and the cable may be a slack cable as is illustrated by the dashed lines 80 in FIGURE 7. Under these conditions the cable 80 is capable of performing the same motions as the cable 81 during the time that the apparatus is being used.

By reference to FIGURE 9, yet another alternative embodiment in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. As is therein shown, the track means may be a substantially flat member 101 constructed of rigid or resiliently deformable material as desired. The track means 101 would be supported in any manner desired by apparatus (not shown) to accomplish the objects and performance as hereinabove described. Track engaging means in accordance with this embodiment of the invention includes a relatively large resiliently deformable wheel member 102 constructed for example of relatively stiff foam rubber yet capable of providing a spring or resilient feel to the skier during use. The wheel 102 is pivotally affixed by means of an axle or the like 103 to a relatively rigid attaching bar 104. The bar 104 is attached to a transverse plate 105 which is used to engage the top surface of the ski 106. A similar plate 107 is placed along the bottom surface of the ski and a latching means 108 is brought around under the bottom surface of the ski 106 and plate 107 and is attached to the bar 104 to rigidly affix the ski 106 by way of the bar 104 to the track engaging means 102. Similar mechanism is illustrated with respect to the other ski and is designated by using the same reference numerals primed.

A retaining bar 111 is affixed to the track means 101 at one end thereof such, for example, as by a hinge or similar type member 112. The retaining bar 111 is brought into place and is latched at its opposite end for example by means of a lock or latch mechanism 113. When in such position the locking bar 111 forms an elongated slot 114 in cooperation with the edge of the track means 101. In this manner the bars 104404 are retained within the slot 114 in such a manner that the soft resilient track engaging wheels 102-102' are always in contact with the track means 101 and irrespective of the movements of the skiers will never leave the track means 101. If such is desired, to obtain the required rotational movement of the wheels 102-102 as the skis 106406 are moved from side to side, the bars 104-104' may be formed with a pivoting joint as illustrated at 121 on bar 104 only.

There has thus been disclosed an apparatus which may be used by a skier for developing and/or conditioning those muscles of the human body normally used in skiing without the necessity of the skiers traveling to a ski area or having snow or an artificial substitute for snow. The apparatus as illustrated and above described is extremely simple, easy to utilize and unexpectedly effective for the purpose intended. Although various embodiments of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention have been illustrated and described in some detail, such is to be taken by way of example only and is not intended as a limitation upon the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for development and conditioning the muscles of a skier comprising:

(A) track means including a base member, a cable, and

means supporting said cable on said base member;

(B) cable engaging means; and

(C) means for attaching said cable engaging means to a pair of skis.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said cable engaging means is, during use of said apparatus, positioned above said cable.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said base member is rigid and said cable supporting means comprise a pair of resiliently deformable upstanding arms aflixed to said base member.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cable is under tension and said cable supporting means comprise a pair of upstanding arms affixed to said base memher, said arms being constructed of resiliently deformable material.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cable is slack.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cable engaging means is a pair of grooved rollers each adapted to receive said cable.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said attaching means includes a cradle adapted to receive skis and said rollers are affixed to said cradle.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said attaching means includes a separate cradle for each ski and each cradle includes a substantially U-shaped bracket with the ends of the legs of the U inwardly turned, a cushion pad afiixed to said bracket along the base of said U, clamp means engaging said brackets and adapted to secure a ski therein.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said clamp means includes an adjustable pressure pad member, a hold-down clamp having a pair of outwardly extending tongs each adapted to engage said inwardly turned ends of said bracket, screw means threadably engaging said hold-down clamp and rotatably engaging said pressure pad member whereby said pressure pad member canibe moved toward or away from the base of said bracket to clamp or release, respectively, a ski to said attaching means.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which further includes retaining means cooperatively connected between said cable and said cable engaging means for maintaining said cable engaging means upon said cable irrespective of movements of said skier.

11. Apparatus for development and conditioning the muscles of a skier comprising:

(A) track means for simulating snow conditions during skiing insofar as ski attitude and snow cushion and including,

(1) a rigid base member,

(2) an upstanding arm member rigidly afifixed to each end of said rigid base member, and

(3 cable means suspended between and supported by said arm members;

(B) track engaging means for enabling a skier to position his skis upon said track means and to move them thereacross and including,

(1) a separate wheel member for each ski, each wheel member defining a continuous peripheral recess around the outer perimeter thereof,

(C) attaching means for affixing the track engaging means to a pair of skis including,

(1) a separate ski receiving member for each ski,

(a) each of said ski receiving members cooperatively receiving one of said Wheel members,

(2) a clamping member received by said ski receiving member to rigidly affix each ski to a respective one of said ski receiving members.

12. Apparatus as defined in Claim 11 wherein said track means further includes a pair of stabilizer bars, one affixed to each end of said rigid base member.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein each of said stabilizer bars is positioned outboard of an upstanding arm member and has at least three discrete contact pads adapted to rest upon a supporting surface.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein each of said arm members is constructed of resiliently deformable material and has that end aflixed to said base bent and inwardly directed along said base and wherein said base member further includes a stop member affixed thereto and engaging each of said arm member at the area of bend to preclude excess bending of said arm members during use of said apparatus.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,364,875 1/1968 Bilaisis 27257 FOREIGN PATENTS 832,295 9/1938 France. 632,029 12/1961 Canada. 710,685 6/1965 Canada.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner R. W. DIAZ, Assistant Examiner 

